Variegated bulbous oat grass, sweet white violet, and a bit of ‘White Nancy’ lamium in the lower left corner
Because of the warm April, a lot of the daffodils that were still blooming last year are done for this year. This is the “gap” time between the early blooming spring flowers and the big June extravaganza when all the experts say I should have lots of tulips blooming, but I don’t. I love tulips, but they prefer better draining soil than what I’ve got, and the plentiful rodents like to eat them. Instead, I seem to have a lot of green and white vignettes, such as the one above, and the one below.
The foliage of Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ looks well with the great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
Other white flowers blooming now are Narcissus poeticus and N. ‘Thalia,’ as well as the narcissus I’m calling ‘Irish Laddie’ (all featured in last year’s May bloom day post). My double white lilac (variety unknown) has also started to open. It’s always the earliest.
New and Noteworthy
Creeping phlox and ‘Waterperry’ veronica adorn the Birthday Garden wall, while ‘Curly Lace’ daffodil gazes down on them both.
I just got that dainty ‘Waterperry’ veronica last fall, and had no idea it would complement the creeping phlox I got from a friend many years ago. The ‘Curly Lace’ daffodils are a new introduction from Brent & Becky.
This ‘Victor Reiter’ sea pink (Armeria maritima) also graces the base of the stone wall
Both the veronica and the sea pink are marketed as Plants That Work in Nooks & Crannies. If you have a stone wall like mine or need a little plant to tuck in somewhere, you might want to browse through their website.
Everything else
- Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor)
- Seneca Hill hellebore, pale yellow with pink flush
- plum colored hellebore, also from Seneca Hill Perennials
- Rundy’s cherry tree
- Tulipa bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’. A species tulip that grows in the crocus bank.
- grape hyacinths
- The ‘Looking Glass’ brunnera growing next to the trilliums above has its first blossoms
- forget-me-nots
- Virginia bluebells
- violets
- The last bits of Corydalis solida
- the first trollius blossom
- purple-leaved ajuga
About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. • USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural; Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level: intermediate • Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY native plants, gardening with/for children
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I work as a nursery manager at a landscape co. in Michigan. As such I recieve many calalogs from growers to wholesalers and I have noticed more and more green flowered plants. I have long admired the ‘White Garden’ by Gertrude Jekell at Sisinghust Castle in England, and have often dreamed of creating one for myself…in the last two years I have been compiling a list of green, green and white plants and flowers. If anyone is interested in this list I would be gald to share. Also if anyone has any pics of such a garden I would love to see them.
Happy Planting
Carolyn
Have you ever seen green and white trilliun? Imagine my surprise when I found a bed of the large white trillium with many, many green and white ones. I think it may be a genetic defect.
Very pleasing to the eyes. Love the color combos and overall arrangement.
Yeah! You got the pictograph and I love your list of what you won’t get for Mother’s Day. I am still thinking of my list of junk. Will get back to you on that.
The great white (trillium) almost made me swoon.
And guess what? My colchicums have sent up leaves! Finally!
MA
I’ve found myself admiring green and white combinations in my garden as well. One of my favorite pictures is of Shasta daisy blooms with white-flowering oxalis and spider plant.
And as an added bonus, I love how the whites really glow at twilight.
Twitter: @mycornerofkaty
Kathy, since we can’t grow Brunnera or Trilliums, I think that’s my favorite picture. Then again, that little veronica is awfully cute, too …
Green and white looks so clean and fresh. I think that’s why I love lambs ear so much because it is that cool green/blue with white fuzz.
Those violets are absolutely beautiful and you are the second person I read about today with trilliums. Every spring I look for them in the wild, and take pictures, but have never grown them. SO pretty!
Hi, all–
, author of Time and the Gardener, among others. I used to have it on the western side of a lilac, and almost lost it. It is much happier on the moister, shady north side of the house, though even there it starts looking pretty scruffy during the hottest, driest part of the summer. As long as we get autumn rains it bounces right back.
The bulbous oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum ‘Variegatum’) came from Elisabeth Sheldon
I hope you don’t mind if I steal your idea, I mean I am inspired by your pairing of the Trillium & Brunnera ‘Looking Glass.’ I just bought the latter (on a whim) & couldn’t decide where to put it, so for now it’s in a container. (They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.)
Lovely combinations, Kathy! I so envy you that beautiful clump of variegated bulbous oat grass. I was able to grow it many years ago, but the summers here seem too hot for it now. Happy May Bloom Day!
Green, white and silver. It looks like they are ment to complement each other.
The green and white combos do look refreshing and cool. I particularly like the oat grass and white violets together.
Twitter: @clayanlimestone
The green and white is wonderful, I need more white as I have a lot of green! Kathy, thanks for the link to Nooks and Crannies…that is just what I need for the new stone walls! I love blogging friends, they are always helpful! 1. add more white, 2. nooks and crannies
I am sighing with delight over your Trilliums…
Gail
I’ll chime in as a fan of green and white in the garden. It is soothing and restful, it cleanses our palette so we are ready for the riot of colors that is to come.
Twitter: @layanee1
Silver and white together are so refreshing. I do get tired of bright yellow in spring and must try some ‘Thalia’s’. I did spray my bulbs with Neem before planting as I have heard that it does deter the rodents. No damage this year.
Twitter: @Annieinaustin
Green and white works for me, too – love the leaves on the ‘Looking Glass’ Brunnera with the trillium.
Happy May, Kathy!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I have those violets too. If only they would bloom later and longer. The birthday garden wall is great!
Twitter: @ZanthanGardens
I love those crisp greens and whites. They look especially refreshing this time of year when it is so hot and humid in Austin.
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